Mainstreet Daily News
Principals from every Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) will be on hand at Gainesville High School to conduct interviews and deliver information about certification and benefits on Saturday.
The annual job fair for prospective teachers starts at 8 a.m. The district is recruiting teachers for all grade levels and subjects and will offer on-the-spot contracts to qualified candidates.
The event runs until noon and in the past was held at a local hotel conference room, but this year it will be at GHS located at 1900 NW 13th Street. Interested candidates should register in advance online.
According to ACPS, the district offers extensive professional development, mentoring for newer teachers and other supports and incentives.
“We provide a great deal of hands-on, practical support for teachers here in Alachua County, particularly our newer teachers,” said Beverly Finley, human resources supervisor. “We work hard to make sure that our teachers have the tools they need to be successful in the classroom.”
Currently the salary for a beginning ACPS teacher with no previous teaching experience and a bachelor’s degree is $44,143.
ACPS personnel specialist Tonya Nunn said this event is the biggest teacher hiring every year and she expects more than 200 people to attend.
With the increase in beginning teacher pay, Nunn said the school district will be able to compete with other counties to offer better pay and benefits. Those benefits include high quality health insurance and credit for previous teaching experience and for advanced degrees.
“We’re going to be able to entice, let alone encourage, future teachers that this is not just a job, it’s a career with potential.”
To protect the safety of all participants at the fair, masking and social distancing protocols will be followed.
For more information, contact the district’s human resources office at (352) 955-7727.